Addams Family Values

The Game

Addams Family Values was released in 1995 for both the SNES and Genesis/Mega Drive, it didn't get the variety of releases the previous two entries got and instead focused on one game for two consoles, likely due to the fact the game is entirely different to the previous two. Gone are the 2D platforming ways, replaced with a Zelda-esque top down action adventure with very slight RPG elements. We're back to the game being based on the movie of the same name, rather than the animated series, but the plot is very loosely adapted.

For the third time we have a game both developed and published by Ocean Software, so very little to say here that hasn't already been said.

Gameplay

The jump from a 2D platformer to a top down action adventure was a surprising one, 2D platformers were often the game of choice for licensed games of this era, and it's not even like A Link to the Past released between the games, A Link to the Past actually predates the first Addams Family game, but Addams Family games weren't strangers to this genre, Fester's Quest on the NES was a similar type of game so they had some roots already laid out.

You move around the world and various levels using Fester's electricity to zap various different enemies, skeletons, eyes, killer tomatoes, tiny robots, there's some good variety of enemies, but the actual fighting does get repetitive. You can get a better electricity blast that extends out longer, think the sword in Zelda when you're at full health, but it really is just a case of walking round zapping enemies over and over until they die.

I do get a kick out of the dialogue, Fester will talk to various people, the Addams Family themselves and some other characters, and that typical Addams Family feeling of bad is good, and good is bad is quite funny. When you have a cute little character pleading for help, and Fester just asks "why?" Does make it a refreshing change to the usual cliche dialogue.

There is quite a lot of variety between levels as well, with puzzles to work out and bosses to fight. I just wish there was a bit more variety in the combat, there are some other weapons, but they don't really seem to be much more help than what you have to start with.

The world is also a bit confusing, with very little indication on where to go next without a guide. An easy thing to find now, but not when the game released, and I can imagine a lot of people would've found the game frustrating because of that.

Graphics

It's a very nice looking game, with it being based on the film, the graphic style is similar to the first game, with the family sprites looking similar to how they did there, the levels all look nice, with some very basic but effective effects like fog through some of them and enough variety too you don't think you're seeing the same level over and over again. I think the dark, dingy feel to the game is to it's detriment a bit though, I get that that's the Addams Family, but there's a lot of vibrant colour missing that the SNES does so well.

Sound and Music

The music is really good again, very atmospheric, and fit the world perfectly. There are 16 tracks on the soundtrack and it clocks in at just under an hour long. The "Blizzard" theme is a standout, but all the music is great, it almost feels like 16 bit versions of music you'd hear in a horror film. "House of the Dead" must have been inspired by the theme to John Carpenter's Halloween. It's a soundtrack I could listen to outside of playing the game and is easily my favourite soundtrack of the three Addams Family games. You can check it out here.

As for the sound effects, they're fine. The attack sound does grate on you after a while, and the enemies exploding all sounds the same, there are some nice bits here and there, but the music is by far the big selling point.

The People

New game, new genre, and a new load of people to talk about. First of all the music because it stood out so well. Keith Tinman was credited for the music in this, he'd previously worked on a load of home computer releases, before starting console work with Cool World on the SNES. Then in 2002 he did music for the fantastic PS2 title The Thing, which makes me even more convinced about the John Carpenter influence here.

Don McDermott pulled triple duty and worked on the graphics, game design and the script, I quite enjoyed the script so I had a look at his previous work and it's the only game he's ever written for before or since but he did artwork for Medal of Honour Frontline, and for some reason got a special thanks credit for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer game in 2002.

However the biggest career by far has to go to the programmer Robert Walker. He did programming for a lot of handheld Lego games, but it seemed that he moved into marketing in the 00s and dealt with the releases of Uncharted, Little Big Planet, Infamous, God of War III, honestly the list goes on and on right up to Helldivers II and...Concorde...yeesh.

Box art

Now, with the front I thought for a second that they had created some original art in the style of the movie poster for the film because it wasn't the same as the usual poster, but after a bit of digging it turns out Addams Family Values had some character posters, and this looks like it was one of them, so while it does sell the game well, and it would be eye catching for fans of The Addams Family, I still think it's lazy!

As for the back, we have bullet points again! Kind of, subtitles under screenshots but I'll take it! So you have the usual game description, which is fine, and they've opted for 3 screenshots rather than the usual 4 so they can advertise the included movie poster. (I bet complete versions go for a pretty penny nowadays). The three screenshots are all from fairly early in the game and don't really give you a good variety, 2 of them are in the exact same location, so not the best choices, but the descriptions are what matter here.

• Play Fester through 42 levels of electrifying Addams role-playing adventure - It's really hard to know how many levels there are because it's an overworked and dungeons, is every screen in a dungeon a level? 42 seems like a lot so I think that's how they might be counting it which is a bit sneaky. Also, referring to it as an RPG on the box is maybe a bit much, you can upgrade your health, I guess it all depends on how people define RPG's nowadays.
• Interact with all your favourite characters from the movie - Yeah I'll give it that.
• Use spider eyes, potions, and headless teddybears in your quest to find Pubert - Again, yes those are all in the game.

Overall I give this box a rating of - Mostly accurate. It's hard to know for sure with the number of levels, but it does feel like a stretch, same with calling it an RPG, also the electrifying pun knocks it down a mark.

The Press

Nintendo Magazine System:

Ocean have hit upon the ideal interpretation of the Addams Family. The best seen on any console.

90/100

GameFan:

Boy, Fester is really kickin' up dust in AFV! There are many similarities between it and Zelda, but it just couldn't do it. Other than that, AFV gives the gamer the next best thing to it...you betcha! Tuneful music, lavish bosses and a fluid storyline to keep you tunes in with the action.

86/100

GamesMaster:

I found myself enjoying AFV more the deeper I got into it. The simplified gameplay and variety of locations and characters make for a compelling game. A cracking little adventure

82/100

Very positive reviews, and mostly well deserved but they didn't seem to cover any of the gripes I had with the game. There were some lower scores but they were all from German magazines.